Flashlight



o; B. FETTERMAN I 2,373,553

'- FLASHL'IGHT' I Filed Oct. 17,1942

April 10, 1945 Patented Apr-.10, 1945 FLASHLIGHT Oscar B. Fetter-man,Washingtoml). 0. Application ootobcr 11, 1942, Serial No. 462,385

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in flashlights and hasreference more particularly to a flashlight that can be manufactured andsold at a very low cost.

One of'the important objects of the present invention is to provide aflashlight that consists of relatively few parts and wherein the use ofcritical materials is eliminated.

.Another important object is to provide a flashlight wherein the use ofthe conventional metal casing, reflector and lens units are eliminated.

A still further object resides in the provision of a flashlight that isadapted to be constructed so cheaply that when the dry cell batteriesare exhausted, it is only necessary to, remove the flashlight bulb anddiscard the rest of the flash- Figure 8 is a detailed perspe'ctve viewof the switch unit shown in Figure 7.

In the drawing, with reference more particularly to Figures 1 to 6,wherein there. is shown the 1: -eferred embodiment of my invention, thenumeral l designates generally my improved flashlight.

light and the bulb used again in conjunction with a new flashlight unitconsisting of a casing, dry cell batteries and a switch. A

,Another important object is to provide a flashlight wherein a novelswitch structure is employed for closing the circuit to the bulb, meansbeing'provided for locking the switch in its circuitclosing position,saidswitch including means for automatically and normally holding thesame in an "011 position.

A further object is to provide a-flashlight that will be waterproof,coldproof and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which it hasbeen designed. a

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing.v

.In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein likereference characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved flashlight;

Figure 2 is a vertical through;

Figure .3 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line3-3 of Figure 2, looking downwardly;

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective \lew of the switch unit;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the slotted casing andthe switch element sectional view thereprotruding therethrough;

Figure 6 is an inside view of the slotted portion of the casing showingthe slotted felt covering disposed over the slot in" the casing;

j Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to'jliigiire .2showing a modification of the switch unit, and

This flashlight comprises a cylindrical casing 2 that is preferablyformed of plastic material, although any other suitable non-conductingmaterial such as fiber or the like may be employed. The lower end of thecasing is open to permit the insertion of the conventional dry cellbatteries.

The upper end of the casing is constructed to' provide an inwardlydisposed conical socket portion 3. This conical socket portion has itsin posed between the bulb 6 and the adjacent part of the conical socket3, in the manner as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. The washerserves to more firmly secure the bulb in position in the socket.

A pair of dry cell batteries of the conventional construction are placedwithin the casing 2 through its open lower end, these batteries beingdenoted by the numerals 8 and 9, respectively. A cap ID of the samematerial as the casing is se cured on the lower end of the casing in anysuitable manner and is adapted to retain the bat-' teries within thecasing.

The batteries are arranged in end to end abutting relation with oneanother and the central lyte from the batteries through the casing.

upper end of the leg portion terminates in a spring coil it, from whichextends laterally the switch arm II. An actuating knob I8 is provided onthe outer end of the arm I 1.

The switch unit is mounted in the casing so that the leg portion Itextends vertically within a groove it formed in the inner wall of thecasing. This leg portion will be interposed between the casing 2 and theinsulating sleeve i2. The foot portion II underlies the bottom of thelower dry cell battery 8 and urges the same upwardly so that the centralcontact oi the lower battery is held against the bottom of the upperbattery.

The arm I! of the switch unit, as well as the springcoil 16, aredisposed transversely above the top oi the upper battery in the manneras clearly shown in Figure 2, so that the switch arm is adapted toengage with the exposed threaded portion of the bulb 6, in the manner tobe presently described. The free end portion of the switch arm extendsthrough a bayonet slot formed in the side of the casing. A felt covering2! is aflixed to the inside of the casing over the slot 20 and this feltcovering is formed with a slot 22 through which the switch arm I!extends.

Normally, the spring coil I 8 holds the switcharm I'I out of engagementwith the threaded base or the flashlight bulb so that the circuit isopen and the light does not burn. By grasping the knob l8 and swingingthe switch arm to the opposite end of the slot 20, the switch arm llwill be flexed and brought into engagement withone side of the base ofthe bulb, as illustrated in the dotted lines in Figure 3, therebyclosing the circuit to light the flashlight bulb. The switch arm may belocked in its on position by lifting the arm up bayonet slot 20. g

A flashlight oi the above described construction eliminates the use ofthe conventional metal casing, reflector and lens as well as the lensretaining ring.

When the dry cell batteries have become exhausted, the bulb may beremoved from the socket and the rest of the flashlight may be discarded,as the parts comprising the discardable unit are very inexpensive and itis only necessary to insert the bulb in another fresh unit to render theflashlight again serviceable.

By constructing a flashlight in the manner shown and described, the useof critical materials is eliminated and my improved flashlight will atall times be positive and efllcient in its-operation.

In Figures 7 and 8 there is shown a modification of the flashlight,wherein a slightly different form of switch structure is employed. Inthis modification, the switch structure shown generally at 23, comprisesa piece of wire that is bent to form an elongated leg portion 24 thatextends in' a groove in the inside of the plastic casing 2i against theinsulating sleeve 26 that surrounds the dry cell batteries 21 and 28. Aspring-like root 2! extends laterally from the lower end of the legportion 24 and is disposed between a cap that is removably secured onthe lower end of the casing and the bottom of the lower battery 28 forurging the batteries upwardly in the casing.

Spring element 3| is interposed between the central electrode of thebottom battery 28 and the bottom of the top battery 21. A similar springelement 32 is attached to the upper end of the central electrode of theupper battery and contacts the bottom or terminal end of the base I ofthe flashlight bulb i. The 08813: 25 is formed with a conical socket 83similar to the conical socket I, for the reception of the bulb.

slightly to engage in the oflset portion of the The upper end or the legportion 24 is connected to the laterally disposed switch arm 34 by theofiset' spring portion 35. This effect portion 35 is passed through oneside of the casing and the outer end of the switch arm extends through abayonet slot 36 formed in the opposite side of the casing. An actuatingknob 31 is carried by the outer end of the switch arm and a felt stripsimilar to the felt strip 2| covers the inside of the bayonet slot 36.

As will be clearly understood from the. foregoing description and theconstruction shown in the drawing, the offset spring portion 35 normallyholds the switch arm 34 away from and out of engagement with the base ofthe bulb so that the bulb is not illuminated. By ra p the knob 31 andswinging the switch arm in one direction, the arm will be brought intoengagement with the threaded base of the bulb and thereby close thecircuit to the bulb.

A flashlight of the above mentioned character can be manufactured andsold at a very low cost and due toits simplicity, whenever the batterieshave become exhausted, it is only necessary to remove the bulb anddiscard the rest of the flashlight and toreplace the discarded unit witha new unit at a much cheaper cost than would be the case with theflashlights now generally in use. Further, due to its simplicity thereare no working parts to get out of order easily.

By providing the inwardly directed socket member, the flashlight bulbwill be entirely conflned therein and thereby protected againstbreakage, as could occur if the bulb protruded beyond the upper open endof the socket member. Further, this particular construction of thesocket member permits ready and easy access 49 to the flashlight bulbfor inserting or removing the same.

While I have hown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a flashlight, a cylindrical non-conducting casing, a cylindricaldry battery having a central terminal and a shell terminal receivedwithin said casing, ,an incandescent lamp comprising a base having acentral terminal and a peripheral terminal, said casing being providedat one end thereof with a re-entrant frusto-conical recess portionadapted to'receive said incandescent lamp, the vertex of said portionbeing provided with socket means for retaining the base of saidincandescent lamp with both electrical terminals of the base of saidlamp extending through said socke meansto the interior of said casing,said battery and lamp and socket means being so constructed and arrangedthat said central terminals are in electrical conducting relation witheach other; a resilient filamentary metallic switch element having amedian portion mounted between said casing and said battery inelectrical insulating relation thereto, said element tion between itssaid median portion and actuat- 3. A flashlight as set forth in claim 1,said reing portion, said element being so constructed silient connectionbeing a spring coil.

and mounted that when unactuated it is posi- 4. A flashlight as setforth in claim 1, said retioned adjacent to but spaced from theperipheral silient connection being a backwardly offset bent terminal ofthe base of said lamp but may be 5 portion extending in the directionopposite the actuated for displacement into.electrical engagefree end ofthe actuating portion, said casing bement with said peripheral terminal.ing provided with a second slot, and said switch 2. A flashlight as setforth in claim 1, said caselement being mounted with said offset bentporing being provided near its recessed end with a tion extendingthrough said second slot to the flrst peripheral slot, and saidactuating portion 10 exterior of said casing and being retained in saidof said switch element being extended through second slot.

said first slot for manual operation. I OSCAR B. FETTERMAN.

